


The Women's League AU

by firstclassembarrassment



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: (that said this is Not gonna be a heavy serious piece of fiction), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Sports, Australia, F/F, Women's football, aaand apparently some characters are gonna be Working Through Some Shit, alcohol mention, but the women's match was rly good, club chosen simply because they played last night (and won) I'm not a carlton supporter, disclaimer i don't know much about sports, i guess sanvers will appear too at some point, mon-el who?, will add any other relevant things if they come up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2018-09-21 22:12:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9569030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstclassembarrassment/pseuds/firstclassembarrassment
Summary: Australia's brand-new AFL Women's league is taking off, and marquee player Kara Danvers is one to watch. Shy academic Lena just wants to support women's sport, but ends up finding herself a lot more invested than she first thought.The footy AU I definitely asked for, not so sure if anyone else did ¯\_(ツ)_/¯





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing fiction since I was maybe 10? so don't judge me too harshly BUT give it a chance and I'm confident with each chapter (and more practice) my writing will keep improving so if it's not too much to ask I hope you guys will bear with me!  
> For non Australians: AFL (our national sport) has started a women's league and their first ever game was played last night- hence this fic. 
> 
> 2018 - Hey guys! long time no see, uni took over my life last year but I've finished now and starting to work on this again :) so for those of you who read the first two chapters way back when, you may or may not have noticed the a) title and summary change, b) my username change and c) small rewrites on some of the sections I didn't like so much. Other than that, I'm GOING to write a complete, finished plot. That's all I'm aiming for. Can't say how long it'll take but one day it's gonna be finished.

Lena huffed in indignation, glaring down at her computer screen. The post announcing that the AFL Women's league were moving their first ever match to a bigger venue had filled her with excitement initially; she'd never been the sporting type herself, but thought it was fantastic that women were finally able to play football professionally, and she was proud that the league had so much support. That excitement had abruptly deflated the moment she'd committed the cardinal sin of clicking on the comments section. She didn't know what else she'd expected really, but of course the top comments were all obnoxious angry men, jeering at the league for having the audacity to include women in AFL. One comment in particular made her grit her teeth in irritation:

_whats the point? not like anyone except there mums are going to come_

Clearly Dave (of _course_ his name was Dave), whoever the hell he was, didn't feel the excitement. Lena glared at his name for a few seconds more, then resolutely closed Facebook. She had better things to do than worry about one cynical dickhead on the internet.

Lena stretched as she stood up, arching her back. She'd been slow to get moving this morning- it was already after 10am, she noted with annoyance- and there was a lot she had to get done in the next two weeks before uni started. Running down her mental checklist, she realised she was a little behind schedule. She still hadn't sorted out power or internet providers for the little flat she'd rented for the year, or started packing her things for the move. As much as she loved the big family home on the outskirts of Melbourne, getting into the city for school had been inconvenient to say the least, and she knew she wouldn't have the time to spare this year. Still, a small sacrifice if it meant she could one day be Dr. Lena Luthor, PhD. Lena grinned wryly at the thought. It was very _Luthor,_ really, to consider the prestige as one of the most important things about committing to 3 years of academic hell. Not that she did- her reasons for wanting to do it were, first and foremost, a genuine drive to find whatever was out there to uncover with her research. But she knew that was what her parents were interested in. She could almost hear her father drily remarking _darling, as long as you’re distinguished, you can play scientist all you want._ She’d never been able to tell if he was joking or not.

Lena headed downstairs to the kitchen. The house was quiet; her parents away as usual on one of their numerous business trips, and her brother probably still sleeping off last night. As she scrounged around the fridge to find something for a late breakfast, the worst of the comments section popped back into her head. _Not like anyone except their mums are going to come._ Lena scowled. What the hell did they know? As far as she could tell there were plenty of people who wanted to go. Given male players were considered goddamn heroes for being able to play football, surely it wasn’t too hard to give women who just want to play like the men do at least a little respect? Almost idly, she looked up the address of the new game venue on her phone as she pulled yogurt and fruit out of the fridge. As she began chopping the fruit, Lex stumbled into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. He grinned as Lena frowned disapprovingly at him- she knew he’d been out late last night, no doubt following Clark Kent around like a puppy. She also knew he knew she didn’t think he was a good influence, not that he cared. “Good night?” she asked coolly, scraping pieces of cut banana into a bowl. “Yeah,” he replied, wandering over to the breakfast bar. He sounded rough. “Bit too good I think, whenever an Essendon supporter recognises Clark it usually ends up with free shots so-“ “how nice for him,” Lena cut him off as she started slicing strawberries. “Tell me, does he use his high profile to do anything other than get free stuff and get himself and his friends pissed?” Lex frowned. “I know you think footballers are all arrogant dickheads Lena, but Clark’s not a bad guy.” He began to describe some charity ball Clark’s club was planning to hold, but Lena had stopped listening. She was irritated now- Clark Kent and his ilk had the very ground they walked on worshipped, and the very same people who looked up to people like him were so ready to tear down women who hadn’t even been given a chance to prove themselves yet. She bet they wouldn’t be able to get away with half the stuff the male players did either. Every other week there was a new report about an AFL player doping, or cheating on his partner, or getting into fights, and people still loved them regardless, only too happy to laugh off their behaviour as boys being boys. Lena couldn't imagine the women would be able to put a single foot wrong without kicked out of the league. Not that Clark had been caught doing anything- yet- but as far as she could tell he was just as arrogant and selfish as the rest. She’d had it with the whole chauvinistic lot of them. Lena glanced down at her phone on the bench and saw the address for the women’s game, complete with smiling team photos. Between her breakfast preparations and Lex’s interruption, she’d forgotten she’d even searched it. It wasn't far from her knew place, she realised as she looked back over to Lex who was still defending Clark. “-and he’s a huge supporter of the women’s league as well which is really cool of him, but you probably don’t care about that.” At that, the smug cynical comments section sprung to mind. She looked at him for a few seconds, back down at her phone, and made a decision. “Actually, I do care. In fact,” she told him, “I think I’m going to go the game next week.” Lena smiled in satisfaction at the surprise on her brother’s face. _Fuck you, Dave._

 

* * *

 

 Lena looked around, unimpressed, at the empty park. 5:30, the event had said, so she’d dutifully turned up at 5:15 before realising that was when the stadium gates opened, and it was 2 hours until the game started. Well, she was here now, so she might as well get a good seat. Not that that seemed like it would be a problem. With a sinking heart she looked around the entrance to the ground; she could only see a handful of people here. Lena thought bitterly that maybe the naysayers had been right, and it _would_ just be faithful friends and parents in attendance. The thought galvanised her - if no one else, they’d at least have her to watch them play, damn it. She walked around the outside of the stadium to pass the time. It was a mild summer afternoon, thankfully. Warm, sunny, but not hot enough to burn her. Even so, she decided she’d get a seat in the shade once gates opened. Lena’s pale skin was not well suited to Australian summers.

As she walked back towards the gates, she noticed the number of people waiting outside had increased. Heartened, she made her way to the front of the grandstand and found a shady seat in the front row, to the side of one set of goal posts. She was struck by the enormity of the field- she could only just make out the people filling the stands on the other side. How she was going to be able to see anything, she didn't know. More importantly, how the hell would anyone have the energy to run up and down this thing for an hour? Lena shook her head. She couldn’t even imagine how fit the athletes would have to be. All she’d done today was move the last carload of boxes to her new home for the year and she was exhausted, she realised, not without guilt. Mentally adding 'join a gym' to her to-do list, she twisted in her seat to look at the grandstand behind her.

The stand was now rapidly filling up. To Lena’s left, two girls sat down, looking around in wonder at the huge stadium and the number of people filling it before turning to each other and laughing. She guessed they were like her- knew next to nothing about football, had never shown enthusiasm for it before but were just here to support women’s sport. That suited her just fine - at least they probably wouldn’t get too hyped up, she thought as she offered a small smile in greeting. She wasn’t so lucky on the other side. A family with two boisterous young girls dressed head to toe in Carlton’s navy blue dashed to the front row seats before they were gone, jumping up against the fence as if straining to see the players that hadn't yet entered the grounds. Their parents followed more sedately with bags of hot chips, trying halfheartedly to get the girls to sit down. Both groups sitting either side of her forcibly reminded Lena that she’d come alone. She sighed, pulling out her phone. Most of the companionship she’d had at the university last year had been more like colleagues than friends, and the other honours students she had befriended had either moved interstate, or dropped off the radar completely. Jessica, the only real friend she had, was visiting her grandparents overseas, and after her outburst to Lex about Clark Kent she hadn’t felt like asking him to come with her. So, it was just her tonight. Which was fine. All things considered, it wasn’t uncommon for her.

Lena looked up from her phone as she realised the noise from the crowd was getting louder and louder. When she stood up and looked around, she was shocked. People filled every single bit of space in the stands. Those who didn’t have a seat were standing in the aisles. When she looked across the ground, she could see it was the same on the other side too. Lena felt a fierce surge of pride at the number of people who had come to show their support. On a whim, she took a quick panorama of the packed stadium and posted it to her twitter.

* * *

 

 

 **@lena.luthor** : shoutout to the guy who said no one was going to come. #aflwomen’s

Kara looked at the photo in disbelief. The entire stadium was full. Down in the locker rooms under the stands she could faintly hear the crowd, but she’d had no idea so many people had come to watch them play. She tried to control the thrill of nerves coursing through her as she put her phone down and turned her attention to her teammate’s shoulder, which she was supposed to be taping. “Did you see that Twitter photo?” Kate asked as Kara started unrolling the tape. “Fuckin’ ridiculous. I don’t think there was a single empty space in the whole ground.” “Yeah,” Kara agreed with a nervous laugh, “hope it’s a friendly crowd.” Kate grinned as Kara smoothed the tape over her shoulder. “Yeah, hope so for your sake seeing as though you’re our golden girl and everyone’s gonna be watching you. No pressure though!” She replied with a clap to Kara’s shoulder as she stood up, stretching her arms above her head. Kara just smiled tightly. The ribbing was good-natured, and she knew her teammates were just proud of her, but she was feeling the pressure to perform tonight. Being taller, stronger and better able to take a hit than some of her teammates had brought her a lot of attention, and before she knew it she’d been asked to go to all the photo shoots and promotional events along with the captain, and a lot of people knew her name. It was flattering, of course, and she knew she should be proud of the hard work she put in to gain the recognition that she had. She just wasn’t looking forward to all the extra scrutiny that came with it.

Their team captain, Lauren, strode into the locker room with the coach. “All right listen up everyone, hope you’re all warmed up and ready to play cause it’s a lockout crowd!” The coach’s announcement was greeted with cheers. They’d been optimistic that they’d get a decent turnout, but no one had thought it’d get so full they’d have to turn fans away. She waved at them to quiet down, and Lauren took the floor. “I know it’s a lot of pressure tonight. I don’t know about you guys but I’m feeling like we’ve got a lot to prove here. But you know what? We’re going to prove that we can play just as well as the boys, we’re going to prove that women’s AFL is worth it, and we’re going to prove that we can kick Collingwood’s arses in the women’s footy as well as the men’s!” Kara cheered along with her teammates, trying to ignore the nerves that were making her hands shake. Lauren was never one for long pep talks; an adjustment of her ponytail and a quick retie of the laces on her boots was all Kara had time for before the team started heading out of the locker room towards the ground.

 

* * *

 

 

The noise of the crowd suddenly became deafening. Lena jumped when the man sitting behind her added his voice to the noise with a shout. To the right of where she was sitting, women in navy blue jogged out of the tunnel and onto the field. A huge blue banner was displayed in front of the team- HISTORY MAKERS, GAME CHANGERS, WE’RE ALL BEHIND YOU GO BLUES! - and unbelievably, the crowd got even louder as the players charged through it, ripping it to shreds. The floodlights weren’t on yet, and the soft orange evening light paired with the deafening roar of the crowd made the scene surreal, dream-like. Lena allowed herself to be swept up in the moment and cheered along with everyone else as the two teams ran a lap around the oval, then lined up for the anthem. Carlton’s team president was making a speech, but the echo throughout the stadium swallowed her words. The crowd roared approvingly anyway. Lena watched on as the players got into position and an umpire walked towards the centre with the ball. A tall blonde girl with a 38 on her back caught her eye as she turned and jogged towards where Lena was sitting, smiling at the girl in the black and white shirt who ran beside her as she did so. Both seemed nervous- Lena supposed they’d be feeling like they had a lot to prove tonight. As the whistle sounded, both women abruptly turned towards the centre. Number 38 turned to her opponent and held her hand out, and the two exchanged a brief handshake before watching intently as the umpire held the ball up. Their teammates in the centre jostled for a good position before the ball was thrown up into the air. The crowd screamed their approval, and then the chaos began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short chapter, but I just wanted to get something down and (hopefully!) some feedback and/or advice. I don't know if this will appeal at all to non Australians but hopefully I haven't put in too many references or gone on too long about stuff.
> 
> Liked it? Want to know what happens next? Thought it was horrible and want to tell me never to try writing again? Let me know what you think please :)
> 
> if anyone wants to be my friend/talk to me about the fic I can also be found on Tumblr at anxiouslygay


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for your supportive comments :) I'm resisting the urge to rewrite everything in chapter 1 I'm unhappy with cause I know the best way to get better is just to write more, but I'm much happier with this chapter, so let me know if you think I've improved!
> 
> This chapter it's game time!

If Kara had had any time to think, she would have been amazed at how quickly her nerves dissipated when play began. Her whole world shrank to the field, her only focus the ball and the players grappling for it. Collingwood had the ball, for now. She doubted they’d pass it her way- Collingwood’s goals were at the other end of the field- but she stuck on her opponent just in case. She watched intently as the players in the centre fought fiercely for the ball. It was brutal. In a desperate bid to keep possession, one of the girls in black and white kicked the ball clear and it bounced its way towards where Kara was waiting. Reacting almost without thinking she charged after her opponent who’d rushed to receive it. As soon as the ball touched the girl’s hands she dove in, wrapping her arms around her and bringing them both down hard. Incredibly, the other girl kept a hold on the ball as Kara pinned her down and three other players rushed in. When the whistle sounded she got up, freeing the smaller girl pinned beneath her. She offered her a breathless grin as she helped the girl up. “Jesus, hit a bit harder next time,” she joked, massaging her ribs. Kara winced. “Sorry?” she offered. The umpire who’d blown the whistle gestured for the ball- the other player hadn’t had time to get rid of the ball before Kara’s tackle, so it’d be a ball-up to resume play. Everyone who’d been nearby for the tackle crowded each other to get a good position as the umpire walked a short distance away and turned his back to the players. When he threw the ball up behind him, it was a Carlton player who hit the ball first, knocking it as hard as she could towards their end of the field. Kara and her teammates charged after it, their opponents not far behind, but the ball was intercepted and quickly kicked back the other way. Before long the crowd was screaming as Collingwood kicked the first ever goal for women’s AFL. Kara smiled despite her disappointment, and applauded the goal. Ah, well.

After their early setback, her team rallied in the second quarter. Kara couldn’t pay too close attention to the exact score, but she knew things were going their way more often than Collingwood’s. All her energy was on the job- get the ball to their forwards for a shot at goal, and stop it from getting up to the other end of the field if she could. She was vaguely aware of the crowd; the closer the ball was to either set of goals, the louder they got. Sometimes they cheered for her too, when she was able to stop the other team’s advance and send it back the other way, or when she executed a particularly good tackle. She felt a fleeting sense of guilt for one particularly hard hit a few minutes before half time- she and a teammate had inadvertently caught the girl between them, ending in a three person pileup. The unfortunate Collingwood player had had to be escorted off the field by medics, half walking, half carried by them. Still, she’d done her job, and it was a clean tackle, so she was blameless.

Many of Kara’s teammates clapped her on the back as she entered the locker room at half time. Grinning, she snatched up a water bottle as she found somewhere to sit. It had been a good quarter, and they all knew it. “Bring it in, girls!” Lauren called from the back of the room. The team circled around her as she started speaking. “All right, I think it’s safe to say we were feeling the nerves in the first quarter,” she began. The team chuckled at this; there’d been silly mistakes all around before they’d forgotten to be nervous and remembered to just _play._ “However, I am more than impressed by the performance out there just then! Special mentions to Darcy, who kicked not one, not two, but THREE goals in the last 15 minutes!” The tiny forward gave an exaggerated bow as her teammates cheered. She didn’t look too intimidating, but that often worked in her favour. She was fearless and, just as importantly, very fast, making it tough for the opposition to stop her getting through when she put her mind to it. “-and to our resident steamroller Kara who’s been flattening every player who dares to cross the midfield!” Kara blushed. Her teammates were used to it by now, but it often surprised people how easily she switched on and became the ruthless, aggressive player she was on the field when off of it, she couldn’t even bring herself to kill spiders when she found them in the house. When she’d first started playing she had used to feel shame after every tackle, especially when she began looking forward to the adrenaline rush it gave her. The first hard hit she’d taken had cured her of that, especially when her horrified opponent, apologising profusely, had helped her up and gave her a shoulder to lean on on her way over to the medics. Her worst fear- that she’d overdo it and seriously hurt someone in her enthusiasm- seemed much less catastrophic once she’d been on the receiving end, and she’d felt no animosity towards the player who’d taken her down even though she’d had to have her wrist strapped for weeks. After that she’d been able to play, and play aggressively, with a clear conscience. 

The half time break ended far too quickly. Kara felt like she’d barely had time to catch her breath before they were heading back onto the field for a warm-up lap. Even so, she had plenty of steam left for the second half of the game. Being back on the field under the floodlights energised her, and she raced ahead of her team to finish the lap first, just because she could. The crowd was loud all around them, more than ready for them to resume play. Lauren signaled to her team to get into the positions she’d outlined for them at half time. Kara noticed that this time, no Collingwood player came to stand beside her. Clearly the other team had figured out not many people escaped her, and had changed their strategy to just try to keep the ball as far away from her as they could instead of having an opponent stick by her during the quarter. She grinned. It may make her job a little more challenging, but it was a sign her aggressive playing style had rattled them a little. This time, Kara was right in the thick of it, standing with the others crowded around the centre waiting for the umpire to throw the ball up. Kara took a breath, braced herself for the throw, then dove into play once again.

 

\--

 

Lena was horrified, but impressed. AFL was a violent game, she’d always known that. Seeing it live and up close, however, was an entirely different matter; How those girls managed to get up and keep playing after getting hit like that was beyond her. The third quarter was in full swing, and luckily for her Carlton was scoring towards her end, which meant the ball (and the players) spent most of their time near her where she could see them clearly.

A few of the players stood out to her. A tall, heavily tattooed Collingwood player she was pretty sure she’d seen in ads for the league watched, frustrated, from near the goals on her side. Things hadn’t been going their way and the poor girl hadn’t had much to do since the first quarter. On the other end of the field a small dark skinned girl seemed to be kicking most of Carlton’s goals. She was incredible to watch- every mark, every kick was effortlessly precise, and she wove in and out of the defenders so fast, by the time they figured out where she’d gone she’d already kicked the goal. Most of all, Lena watched number 38 for Carlton. The tall, muscular blonde was ruthless as she pursued players across the middle of the field, face screwed up in concentration as she brought them down to claim the ball. She now knew, from the running commentary from the family on her right, that the player’s name was Kara. “When I start Auskick I’m gonna play like Kara Danvers and beat up all the boys!” the younger daughter announced to her mother. Her mum chuckled. “There’s a lot more to it than beating people up, sweetheart,” she replied. “See how every time she grabs them above the waist, and below the shoulders? And she never goes for them front on? There’s a lot of skill to doing it right so you don’t get hurt.” Lena could see she was right- no matter how hard they went down, the women always sprang back up, seemingly unhurt. There’d been a few exceptions; just before half time, one of the players had been hit by 2 girls at once. She’d been down for so long, Lena had worried she wouldn’t get up again, but she’d eventually limped off the field, supported by medics. Still, from the look on the faces of the players who’d hit her it hadn’t been intentional. Clearly the rush of adrenaline from play wasn't powerful enough to stop that guilt, even though the players all knew what they'd signed up for.

With only five minutes left of the final quarter, it was clear it was Carlton’s game. The lead would be impossible for the other team to make up before the final siren- not that this made the women playing any less enthusiastic. The ball was now bouncing across the field towards where Lena was sitting, a group of five or six players in pursuit. Kara Danvers and a Collingwood player reached the ball at the same time. Kara picked it up first but the other girl, unable to stop her momentum, crashed into her, her elbow hitting Kara full in the face as she overbalanced. Both players went down, and the ball skittered across the grass. As the girl from Collingwood got to her feet, whistles sounded angrily and all the players in the area froze. Lena realised with horror that the Carlton girl Kara was still lying on the ground, a hand covering her face. “Stay down, don’t try to get up!” Called one of the medics running towards her. They surrounded her, and players from both teams stood at a distance to watch on as they assessed her level of injury. After a minute or so, the crowd erupted in relieved cheers as she got to her feet. Her nearby teammates, looking relieved, clapped her lightly on the shoulder as she was escorted by medics off the field, gesturing emphatically as she did so. Lena couldn’t hear her but it was clear she wanted to go back on and keep playing despite the blood streaming down from her nose. Lena vaguely remembered there was a rule that said any player had to leave the game immediately once they started bleeding, so it was likely the girl would watch the rest of the game from the bench. Shaking her heard slightly at what she'd just witnessed, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl getting sidelined at the last minute. Still, she had to admire her dedication to the game to even consider staying on after a hit like that.

A Carlton player took the ball to resume play. Hitting above the shoulder, even accidentally, was an unfair tackle and Carlton took full advantage of their free kick. Before she knew it, the game was over and Lena stood with the audience around her to applaud their victory. The stadium blared Carlton’s team song, and the crowd screamed along with it. Lena suddenly found herself wishing she knew the words. She watched as the team, including the reserves sitting on the bench, formed a huddle. She knew from glancing at the TV when Lex was watching the men’s football that it was customary for the winning team to huddle and sing the song a second time, a TV camera in the middle of the circle broadcasting their victory. The girls were so ecstatic she could hear them screaming out the song even over the noise of the crowd, she realised with a smile. She stood and turned to go as they finished, but stopped when the team started jogging towards her. The audience sitting around her made their support heard as the team turned towards the tunnel down to their locker rooms, and stuck their hands out to high five the players. Lena saw Kara Danvers jogging, a little more slowly, at the back of the pack. Her nosebleed had stopped, and she’d cleaned up her face a little, but there was a nasty bruise forming on her jawline. Lena swallowed audibly- up close, even with her face messed up, Kara was beautiful. Some unknown force drove her to step forward up to the fence and hold her hand out with the others. She was rewarded with a brief smile as Kara made eye contact with her, slapping her hand as she ran past. Up that close, the sparkle in Kara's and her teammates' eyes showed just how much this victory had meant. The team now gone, Lena turned and this time left the seats behind as she made her way to the exit, her hand still stinging slightly. She thought about Kara’s adorable smile as they’d high fived, and felt her mouth curving upwards in response. Clearly, it was contagious.

 

\--

 

The atmosphere in the locker room was euphoric. The girls whooped as they hugged, and slapped each other on the back while they started their warm down. Someone started the team song for a third time during the hamstring stretches and everyone joined in, getting progressively louder until they were screaming the final lines. Their coach just laughed. This moment was historic- the first ever women’s AFL game, and the first win for their brand new team. They had a right to be proud. Kara noticed with amusement that the backslaps from the rest of her team were much gentler than usual, and made a point to hit back harder in return. Sure, she’d hit the deck pretty hard, but she was made of stronger stuff than that. Still, it didn’t really bother her that much. Caught up in the jubilation, it’d take much more than that to spoil the moment. Walking out to the park outside the stadium with the team a little while later, she noticed that as well as friends and family of the players, a few die-hard fans had waited to speak to them despite the fact that the sun had now set. Kara was tired now, but put on a bright smile as she headed towards two young teens with badges sporting her face and number on them. Exhausted as the team was, this was really why they worked as hard as they did; looking at the number of young girls who'd convinced their parents to hang around for the chance to speak to their new idols reminded them of what a big deal it was that women's sports were in the spotlight now, and how much things could only grow from here. 

As Kara waved a cheery goodbye to a dad with his two kids, smiling indulgently at the pair excitedly comparing autographs, someone spoke behind her in the dark. “So Kara Danvers, after an incredibly successful first match, what do you see in store for your team in the future?” Kara turned wearily towards the voice, now exhausted. Her sister Alex held a phone towards her as if it were a microphone, grinning. “You’d make a terrible reporter, Alex,” she laughed as she embraced her. “I’m so glad you made it! Did you have fun?” Kara asked. “Of course I’d come support you! You were brilliant by the way, those poor girls didn’t stand a chance against you. Oh, and I am absolutely checking you out before you go to bed.” Kara rolled her eyes. She’d been given the all clear by the medics, but of course Alex would insist on checking her injuries herself. Hazard of having a paramedic for a sister, she supposed. “Only if your checkup involves treatment in the form of ice cream,” she said as she waved goodbye to her team members and headed towards Alex’s car. She clambered gratefully into the passenger seat as Alex put her sports bag into the boot and got in the driver's side. “How was work?” She asked. “Pretty quiet, actually. Most people start doing the stupid, injury-inducing stuff around this time of night, which is why I was extra glad to swap for the day shift so I could watch you play,” Alex replied with a smile as she started the car. They talked a little about the match, arguing their very different perspectives on the most memorable moments ("really Kara, you could've broken your neck." "yeah but I stopped Collingwood taking possession didn't I? and did you _see_ the look on Moanna Hope's face when i knocked her flat on her back"), before falling into a companionable silence on the drive home, which Kara was grateful for. She was too tired to talk much; the game (and the celebration with her team after) had taken a lot out of her. As they stopped at a red light a few minutes from their shared house, Alex reached over and touched her hand. Kara looked over at her sister, smiling sleepily. “Hey. I really am super proud of you, you know that?” Kara smiled. “Yeah, I know. And you know how much it means to me that you are,” she replied. Alex returned her smile as she put her hands back on the wheel. “Love you, sis.”

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was really fun to write (and I love me some supportive Danvers sister scenes)!
> 
> For those interested, I'm imagining Kara as a ruckman/midfielder- so basically her job is to just follow the ball wherever it goes and make sure it gets into the right hands (ie- the forwards on her team so they can score goals).  
> I tried to explain the rules of the game throughout the chapter a little bit, which involved a bit of research as I'm still learning them myself so let me know if something doesn't make sense.
> 
> As always I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, comments, anything!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey lol
> 
> long time no see guys... thanks to those who've read what I've done so far I hope you'll come back and read this too! if not... I get it, maybe come read it when I finish (at this rate expect the finished product in 4-5 years)?

The smell of coffee was the first thing Kara registered when she woke. Stretching her arms over her head as she sat up, she smiled at the steaming cup sitting on the bedside table. Alex tended to spoil her, especially after something big like last night’s game. While this often made her feel like a spoiled little kid - it wasn’t like she couldn’t look after herself, and Alex had enough on her plate without playing the overprotective big sister - Kara knew it came from a place of love and if she was honest, after the night she had last night she didn’t mind being pampered a little. Reaching out to slide on her glasses and grab the cup of coffee (still hot - Alex must have come in just before she woke), her muscles protested a little and as she tilted her head back to drink she could feel her headache as a testament to just how hard the knock to her face had been. She grinned. It had definitely been worth the less-than-pleasant recovery sessions she’d no doubt be subjected to in training on Monday. Spending an indulgent few extra minutes in bed, she could picture so clearly the whole night; the ground, the roar of the crowd, the adrenaline pumping as she chased down the ball, and above all the immense pride at representing women in football at a national level. Her heart swelled at the memory of the overwhelming support she and everyone on her team had seen, too. A crowd big enough that people actually had to be turned away at the gate was well beyond what anyone, even the most loyal supporters, had anticipated. Almost as an afterthought she remembered they’d won, too. Kara grinned to herself. All in all, couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season.

Kara could hear something sizzling when she eventually got out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. Alex looked up and smiled, gesturing to the phone clamped between her ear and shoulder and then to the stove for Kara to watch the pancakes browning in the pan as she moved out of the tiny kitchen and through the dining and lounge area to the balcony. As Kara walked over to man the frying pan she heard Alex quietly ask, “so what time do you think you’ll head over tonight?” Kara smiled fondly. There were only two people Alex used that gentle tone with, and since Alex wasn’t speaking to her, it could only be Maggie on the other line. She adored Alex’s girlfriend almost as much as her sister did, and they both hoped her inclusion in the weekly game nights would really cement her place in Kara and Alex’s group of friends. The apartment she shared with her sister was small, and didn’t leave a lot of room for privacy, but it was comfortable enough as well as close to the city. Kara didn’t mind anyway. After a somewhat rocky start as they both got used to each other, she and Alex had been inseparable almost as soon as she’d been adopted into the Danvers family. While it didn’t bother Kara, however, Alex had always been a little more private, and Kara had long since learnt not to be bothered by Alex’s need for more space. Kara turned as she heard the sound of the balcony door sliding that announced Alex’s re-entry into the room. “Secret phone business concluded?” she teased as Alex came in to usher her away from the pancakes. It was an old joke – Alex knew Kara really didn’t mind that she liked her privacy, and the eye-roll she got in response was well deserved. “Maggie says hi, now get away from those before you burn them,” Kara stuck her tongue out, moving over so Alex could take charge again and making herself comfortable at the dining table. She wasn’t a bad cook, really she wasn’t, but Alex had never let go of the _one time_ she’d set the smoke alarm off trying to make French toast. “She coming to game night? I haven’t kicked her ass in checkers yet, she’s overdue,” Kara joked as Alex came to join her, sliding a plate of banana pancakes in front of her. “Yeah she’s in, and hey, I really appreciate you and your friends including her,” Alex smiled, reaching over to punch Kara’s shoulder lightly. “But, there are more important things to talk about! How are you feeling, and more importantly have you checked your Instagram today?” Kara frowned, pulling out her phone. “No, but I don’t see why that would be-“ Kara’s eyes widened. 1,200 new followers? That couldn’t be right. Then, she saw the reason why she’d suddenly become so popular:

 **@clarkeykent16** HOW EXCITING IS #AFLW! Ripper match last night, so proud of baby cuz **@Danvers38** maybe see you in red and black one day? ;) #aflwomens #wrongteam #goodgametho

Directly above was a photo of her, mid-game. Backlit by the floodlights, she had a face of pure concentration as the ball, a small yellow blur in the corner of the photo, left her foot on its way down to her teammate waiting in goal. “Looking pretty good hey?” Alex asked with a knowing smile. “Hope you’ll still talk to me now you’re famous.” Kara just shook her head. She knew Clarke had meant well, but she also knew from his rocky start to social media fame that more attention might not necessarily be a good thing. Alex stood up, ruffling Kara’s hair as she cleared the plates. “You’ll be fine, comes with the territory. You’re good, really good, and people recognise that,” she said gently. Kara wasn’t convinced, but she smiled at her sister. “Thanks, Alex. Now stop babying me, I feel like a spoiled little princess,” she laughed, taking the plates out of Alex’s hands. The two bickered goodnaturedly over who was doing the dishes (Kara eventually insisting because “you cooked, Alex! So you don’t clean, them’s the rules!”) and Kara’s reservations were forgotten for now.

As 6pm rolled around, Kara and Alex’s little apartment started filling up. First to arrive were James and Lucy. Kara could feel Alex watching her surreptitiously when she went to greet them – while she hadn’t spoken about it much to _him_ , but what had almost happened between Kara and James had coloured their interactions for months, even after he’d pulled back and resumed his on-off relationship with Lucy. Alex had heard it all; she had a way of getting anything out of her, especially the things Kara needed to say out loud but absolutely didn’t want to. Only Alex knew the extent of how upset she’d been over the whole thing and she knew that characteristic protectiveness was what made her watch them the way she did, but thankfully there was no awkwardness between them. Kara, on her part, was just happy to see her old friends again. It had been a while since their last game night and even longer since she’d felt any animosity towards him. Especially about going back to Lucy - everyone who’d ever met her, Kara included, was a little in love with her so who could blame him? Winn came next and, half an hour later, Maggie shyly knocked at the door, 2 boxes of pizza help up as an apology for her tardiness. Alex, trying and failing to completely hide her nerves, gave her girlfriend a quick kiss as she relieved her of the pizza and put an arm around her waist as she brought Maggie in to greet the others. They’d all met her before, but this was the first time after Alex had come out to them, and this time she’d officially be there as Alex’s partner. Kara smiled encouragingly, and the others welcomed Maggie and her timely food delivery eagerly. Alex made a poor show of trying not to look relieved at seeing Maggie accepted into the fold without any fuss, and Kara saw right through it. “Dummy, you have absolutely nothing to worry about and you know it,” she whispered in her sister’s ear as she headed into the kitchen to grab drinks. Alex just smiled, watching James pull Maggie into a conversation with him and Winn. She had known it, but actually seeing it was a relief all the same.

Ever eager to show Kara her support (or embarrass her, depending on who was asked) Alex insisted on pulling up the highlights video from last night’s match as Kara came back into the living room with an armful of beers. “Alex,” Kara groaned, handing them around and flopping onto the couch. “Is this really necessary?” “Sure is!” Alex replied cheerfully, as the others voiced their agreement and blocked Kara from getting up to turn it off. Kara grumbled quietly as they watched the video, her friends cheering as obnoxiously as possible whenever she made it into the highlights reel, which was often. Once wasn’t enough either; the group insisted on replaying the video as long as Kara kept complaining about it. “Girl Of Steel?? Hell yeah!” Winn cheered, echoing the commentator’s words as they watched Kara picking herself up off the grass, blood streaming from her nose, for the third time. Kara groaned. “What’re the odds that nickname’s gonna be everywhere now?” she asked wearily, grabbing the remote before anyone could stop her. “Ooh, you wanna make a bet, Danvers? I can give you some good odds,” Maggie joked from the end of the couch, half sitting on Alex. Kara rolled her eyes. “I hate you all,” she said, turning the video off and going for the board games. “Now, who wants to play me in checkers?” she asked innocently, holding the box up. The group went silent and Kara grinned. That never failed to shut them up.

* * *

Jessica was bored, Lena could tell. It had taken bargaining, bribery and a threat to post that one photo of Jess from high school that she was only half joking about to get her to come to a football match with her. It was a home game for Calrton, so they were back at the same ground the opening match had been played on. The two girls were sitting on the other side of the stadium this time, near the cheer squad for the opposing team. It was depressingly small, but there was only so much a team could hope for given they were based interstate, Lena supposed. Lena liked the rickety old stands on this side. They were much smaller than the big grandstand on the other side and she wasn’t entirely sure they weren’t going to collapse on their heads, but they had character and it was cool and shady here while she and Jess watched the two teams of women sweating out in the afternoon sun.

A few rows in front of them were a group of men wearing matching navy blue shirts – if the steady stream of young kids and teenagers approaching them with Sharpies and footballs were anything to go by, they must be the men’s team out to watch the match. Jess looked up from her phone, eyeing the group speculatively. “He’s pretty hot. Should I pretend to know who he is and ask for a selfie?” she asked with a grin. Lena rolled her eyes. Jess didn’t care about men’s football any more than she did, and they both knew it. “We’re supposed to be here supporting the women’s team. You know, the ones out there on the field playing?” she scolded, eyes still on the field as she reached out a hand to shove her friend lightly. That only made Jess laugh. “Uh huh, we’re here to support women in sport. All about the sisterhood, no other ulterior motives. Right?” “Right,” Lena agreed absent-mindedly, still not taking her eyes off the game. 100 metres away, Kara Danvers threw herself at a woman from the Western Sydney team trying desperately to outrun her with the ball, bringing them both crashing down to the ground. The two women landed awkwardly, Kara on top of the other girl with their legs entangled. Her job done, Kara’s fierce façade immediately fell away and she laughed with her opponent about their awkward position as they separated and got back up.

Lena watched the exchange, blushing slightly, then realised far too late that Jess had been mocking her as her friend burst out laughing. “You should have seen the look on your face, oh my god,” she got out between barks of laughter. “Sisterhood my arse. You’re just hot for muscley girls jumping on each other.” Lena blushed guiltily. Jess was one of very few people who knew about her sexuality, and even then she’d put off telling her until she was absolutely sure she wouldn’t react badly. Jess, of course, had barely batted an eye at the revelation, but knew it was a big deal for Lena to tell someone all the same, and being trusted with something that personal had brought the two girls closer. Much as Lena appreciated that the lighthearted teasing was Jess’ way of showing her she was accepted and her being a lesbian wasn’t a big deal, comments like that sometimes reminded her how difficult it had been to come to terms with this aspect of her identity, and to feel secure expressing attraction without feeling like a creep or a predator. “The two things aren’t mutually exclusive, ok? I can support women’s representation in professional sport and also acknowledge that some of them are attractive,” Lena said defensively. Some of what she was feeling must have shown on her face, and Jess held up her hands placatingly. “Whatever you say, Luthor. I get it, I think it’s cool that you’ve been coming down here every other week to support them. And I know you’re not that shallow.” Lena smiled, mollified, as they both turned back to the game. The umpire was arguing with the players and gesturing at Kara. The western Sydney cheer squad started booing as Kara was given a free kick – her opponent had been holding the ball. Kara smiled cheekily at the irate fans before turning her attention to the field, looking for someone to kick to. “You know what? I get that part too. She’s hot,” Jess smirked, nudging Lena’s shoulder. Lena just groaned. Not that she’d admit it, but she completely agreed.

* * *

Kara groaned as her kick was intercepted by a western Sydney player before it reached her teammate in the forward 50. It had been poorly calculated and she knew it, but she’d been eager to get rid of the ball as soon as possible with the angry fans cursing at her. Much as she knew she shouldn’t let them rattle her like that, a group of 20 or so people booing her was never pleasant. All she could do was watch as the ball made its way away from her down the field, her team desperately trying to stop its passage. It was the closest they’d gotten to the goals all quarter and she’d made a costly mistake with the scores so level. Kara jogged toward the action but without much hope of getting near the ball any time soon, already imagining the earful she’d get at quarter time. She noticed wryly that her opponent was quite a way ahead of her, confident that things were going their way and Kara wouldn’t be any trouble. This turned out to be a mistake – almost as soon as she started moving towards the ball, one of her teammates wrestled the ball away from the woman holding it and kicked it aimlessly, long and high, away from the opposing team’s goal. Kara almost stopped as she watched its trajectory, then charged, realising it would land near her. She was first to the ball and immediately turned as she snatched it up, sprinting toward her team’s goal. Looking for someone to kick it to, she realised with astonishment that the goal was wide open! She could hear the crowd getting louder and louder as she charged, and knew without turning around that there’d be someone in hot pursuit so she dared not slow down. Kara bounced the ball once, twice, and before she knew it was only 15 metres from the goal. Almost on autopilot she aimed the ball between the centre posts, leant forward, let go of the ball and let it drop and bounce hard off her left foot. She ground to a halt, panting, and her world shrank to the view in front of her as she watched the ball sail through the goalposts.

Goal.

The booing from the western Sydney squad was drowned out as the rest of the stands erupted with noise. Kara span around, stunned but elated, as two of her teammates barreled into her. As they embraced and ruffled her hair, the siren signaled the end of the quarter.

As the team gathered for a huddle before the final quarter Kara watched the big screen replay her goal in slow motion. She smiled at the fierce look of concentration on her face as she lined the ball up for the kick, and felt the excitement all over again watching the ball soar into goal. Grinning at the other girls, she joined the team huddle. Her goal had taken the lead, and there was now just one quarter left of the game. Energised by her last-minute score, the final 15 minutes flew by with the team working flawlessly and before long, the grandstand was blaring the team song once again. Kara cheered as her teammates lifted her up onto their shoulders, pride of place as the star of the match (her earlier blunder mysteriously forgotten, of course, by the dramatic way she made up for it). Carried by her team off the ground, drunk off their fourth consecutive victory, the premiership was already theirs in her mind. Nothing could possibly stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always said I'd come back to this didn't I?
> 
> so this is mostly character building stuff as you can probably see, some may call it filler but I would argue I'm taking the time to introduce some important relationships in Lena's and Kara's lives. I will get the plot moving a bit next chapter (they're gonna meet!) BUT honestly I'm still plotting out the major story arc so if there's anything you've seen and want to hear more about, anything you're not sure about and want an explanation or something you want to be explored more in coming chapters please let me know!
> 
> if you have any thoughts at all, good or bad, or just wanna say "hey, where the fuck have you been???" please let me know also I live for attention


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I haven't proofread this at all (#yolo) but wanted to post before I go out today so if you notice small edits in the next few days that's why
> 
> Ty as always for the comments! (and you're right, the last line of the previous chapter was pretty subtle ;) just gotta stick around and see what's gonna happen!

Lena took a deep breath, adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and stepped resolutely into the gym. She did her best not to look around and see if anyone was watching her as she approached the front desk but felt very out of place stepping into the gym for the first time – her activewear was brand new and she was sure it made her look completely out of her element, which she was. The gym was surprisingly nice; it was bright, well-lit by big windows at the back facing onto a sports oval, and the shiny surfaces of the machines indicated everything was well cared for. The usual line of TVs were set up in front of the cardio machines, and cheerful pop music was playing at a mercifully low volume so gym-goers could actually hear their own music if they didn’t want to listen to the radio. She snuck a glance at the occupants of the crosstrainers nearby as she waited for a trainer to attend her. The gym-goers, of course, didn’t look up at all; they were completely focused on their routines and couldn’t care less about a skinny twenty-something year old standing awkwardly by the desk with a bag of brand new workout gear.

 

Shaking her head at her own self-absorption, she smiled politely at an enthusiastic looking guy in his mid-twenties wearing a trainer’s uniform as he bounded up to the desk. “Hi! Are you Lena?” he asked, picking up a clipboard on the desk. Lena nodded, twisting the bag strap self-consciously. The trainer, whose nametag identified him as Jarrod, seemed excited by her confirmation. Or maybe he was just excited by everything, Lena supposed. “Awesome, right on time! If you’ll follow me into the office let’s get the final details of your membership sorted and we can get you out in the gym!”

 

Lena followed him in and took a seat, setting her bag down. The gym was, strictly speaking, _not_ her thing. It wasn’t that she hated exercise, she didn’t, but exercising with the smell of sweat and rubber constantly in the air, in a room full of mirrors so she couldn’t avoid watching herself if she tried? Comparing herself to people around her who were twice as fast and twice as strong and definitely judging her level of athleticism? Something out of a personal nightmare sequence, if she was honest. But, by the end of her degree last year the extreme time commitment had left her exhausted and she’d barely scraped through the final weeks. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she wouldn’t have been anywhere near as tired if she’d bothered to keep up her health and fitness, and two months into her PhD she was already starting to feel the long days take their toll on her energy levels. So, here she sat, determined if reluctant, signing membership papers for her university’s gym. “I just have _no_ free time to go anywhere else, so it’s really cool that I can work out on campus,” she explained to Jarrod as she double-checked her personal details on the form. She almost winced as the words left her mouth; she’d been trying to sound as enthusiastic as he seemed to be about it, and had definitely fallen way short. Poor guy probably thought she was mocking him. He didn’t seem to notice; his reply of “great, isn’t it? Definitely fits in super well with a busy student lifestyle!” sounded completely sincere, though it caused Lena’s sarcasm detector to go through the roof. Narrowing her eyes slightly at him, she followed his non-verbal invitation to stand and leave the office. For the life of her she couldn’t decide if he was taking the piss, but she let it go. Either way, his unshakeable enthusiasm was starting to unnerve her.

 

After showing her the lockers to store her gym bag, Lena followed Jarrod further into the gym, water bottle in hand. Back out in the gym he seemed even more pumped up, something she hadn’t thought was possible. “So normally we’d start working out a program together but I’ve got more newbies to meet today! So I’ll hand you over to Kara and she’ll take you through some of the basic workout elements, and we’ll sit down and plan a program for you later. How does that sound?”

 

Lena’s attention had been caught by another trainer by the windows. Tall and blonde, she had her back to them and even from across the room Lena could see her shoulders rippling as she demonstrated a pull-up for a teenaged boy who was looking at her with something akin to reverence. She didn’t blame him; the blonde woman had a god-like figure. Eyeing the woman’s arms, she bet they would be more than strong enough to pick her up and carry her.

 

Having registered Jarrod was still speaking to her, she made a vague noise of agreement and he started walking towards the pair. “Here, she’s on the chin-up bar – Hey, Kara!” Realising this was going to be her instructor, Lena scolded herself silently for staring as she followed him over. As Jarrod reached her, the woman turned and –

 

_Oh, shit._

 

She knew that face a little too well. She’d seen it on all the football ads, watched her mow down her opponents on the footy field match after match, had set an action shot her cousin had posted as her wallpaper for weeks. Most of all, she still vividly remembered the sparkling eyes and bright smile when she high-fived her first football victory.

 

Not sensing her internal panic, Jarrod introduced her. “So this is Lena, she’s just signed up today and wants to go through some basic workout exercises. Lena, this is-“

 

“Kara Danvers.” Lena blurted out before she could stop herself. Her hands instantly flew to her mouth. Kara and Jarrod both chuckled, then Kara held out her hand. “The one and only. Welcome to the Melbourne University gym, Lena,” she said warmly. Lena blushed furiously, taking the proffered hand and squeezing probably a little too tightly. “Oh my god sorry, that was so weird. I’ve just seen you play a bunch of times and you’re...” she forced herself to pause her unchecked babbling, “really good.” she finished lamely. Jesus, she really had to get it together. Kara just chuckled again. “Don’t apologise! Thank you so much, I’m always happy to hear about people supporting the league. Now, do you want to go through some cardio or weights stuff first?” She asked, taking her elbow and steering her towards the stationary bikes. Lena said a somewhat panicked thank you to Jarrod as she allowed herself to be led away. Just two minutes ago, she’d found his relentless cheer obnoxious and had been more than ready to get away from him but now, she felt like she was losing her only ally. He gave her a cheery wave, oblivious to her freakout, and walked off to the front desk again.

 

Still recovering from her mortifying introduction, Lena was quiet as Kara talked her through the different bike settings. From there, they moved through the different cardio machines and on to strength training. Lena’s scientist brain took over and she watched Kara’s every demonstration carefully, making sure she could replicate the movements exactly (and _definitely not_ checking out the way Kara’s muscles flexed when she did them). It paid off, and Kara seemed impressed with how quickly she picked it up. “Great technique,” she praised Lena as she moved through a lunge sequence. “Yeah, while I’m only carrying 2 kilo weights,” Lena grumbled, embarrassed. It was the first thing she’d said other than direct questions about the exercises since they’d started. Kara grinned, setting down her own 10kg dumbbells. “Well hey, we’ve all gotta start somewhere. You’ll be lifting more in no time,” she said encouragingly. Lena just looked down in response. God, now Kara probably thought she was miserable and pessimistic. It seemed like no matter what she said she couldn’t help but embarrass herself in front of this woman.

 

Thankfully, her discomfort lessened a little as they continued their circuit through the gym. Kara was just as bright and peppy as the first man had been, but somehow instead of finding it off-putting, Lena was encouraged by the other girl’s genuine, unabashed enthusiasm for what she was doing. By the time they went through the cool-down stretches together she realised she’d almost enjoyed herself.

 

Finally, exhausted and sweaty (though Kara was sweating a little too, Lena was gratified to notice), the two headed back to the lockers to pick up her bag. “Great workout today, Lena!” Kara said, still sporting her ever-present smile. Seriously, didn’t this girl’s cheeks get sore? “We still need to have a chat about what you want to get out of your membership and all of that stuff, and it looks like Jarrod’s still busy… It’s break time for me, so why don’t we head out and get a smoothie or something? On me, It’ll be fun,” she continued, zipping up her gym bag. Lena baulked. Spending time with Kara while she could focus on the exercises was one thing, but sitting down with her and getting to know each other? Lena found the concept terrifying. She’d only just managed to get through their time in the gym without majorly embarrassing herself (any further). Misreading her expression, Kara tried to reassure her. “Sorry if that seems weird or unprofessional. I like to do it with all the new members if I can, it can be nice to talk through that stuff in a more relaxed setting,” she explained. “But it’s totally ok if you’re more comfortable just doing it in the office-“ “No, that’s fine,” Lena said quickly. “I mean, that sounds fun, yeah..” she trailed off, blushing again. She couldn’t believe this. Normally so composed, even to the point of being thought cold, she just couldn’t stop getting flustered around Kara. And Kara had thought _she_ was the one being weird? Honestly.

 

Resigned to the fact that she’d probably keep embarrassing herself until she went home, Lena schooled her face into a neutral expression and followed Kara out of the gym.

 

* * *

 

 

Lena watched Kara out of the corner of her eye as they settled into chairs at a juice bar across the road. Out of the gym, she was a little softer and quieter, but her smiles were warmer. Lena smiled back tentatively, somehow feeling less nervous despite the more intimate setting. She was glad now that she’d agreed to this. Getting a glimpse of Kara as a person, rather than the sporting figure she’d been idolizing, made her far less intimidating and she could feel herself relaxing more and more. Having an excuse to sit close and look at her wasn’t hurting either; she’d known for quite some time that she found Kara attractive, hell it was half the reason she’d kept going to football games after the first match. Having her sitting in front of her and looking at her like that, she could almost imagine they were there just to be with each other. The thought caused something in her stomach to shift and her heart to beat just a little faster – until Kara slapped a clipboard on the table, bringing her back to reality where this was still just work for Kara.

 

“So Lena, what would you say are the top three things you want to achieve in your fitness?” Lena shook her head slightly, as if she could shake out the wishful thinking from her mind before she answered. “Um, I guess I only really want to keep my fitness up so I have enough energy to stay on top of my studies,” she replied as a fresh juice was put down in front of her, and a pink protein smoothie in front of Kara. “I don’t care too much about losing weight or getting big muscles or anything like that,” she finished. Kara chuckled quietly. “Yeah I don’t think a weight loss program would do you much good,” she said, casting an appraising eye over Lena’s slight frame. Lena shifted in her seat self-consciously. “So, intense studies hey? What do you study?” she asked curiously. Lena puffed herself up slightly. “I’ve just started a PhD, before that I did a double major in physics and biomedical engineering, with honours” she told Kara, not without a little pride. Her eyes widened appreciatively in response. “Bit of a brainiac then. Very impressive,” she replied, taking a sip of the smoothie. “I did sports science myself, but put the studies on hold for a couple of years after I finished when the other stuff got in the way.” “Like becoming the Girl Of Steel?” Lena teased. She was pretty pleased with herself for that one; she must really be regaining her composure if she could fire off jokes, even terrible ones. Kara groaned and rolled her eyes in response. “Don’t you start, my sister’s got everyone calling me that,” she said, but she didn’t look upset. “We should finish this though. Next question, can you tell me a little about the kind of workout programs you did before joining us here?”

 

The interview progressed much more slowly than it should have. They just couldn’t stay on topic- every other answer Lena gave set Kara off into an anecdote, which Lena then had to answer with one of her own, and before they knew it 15 minutes had passed without a single item being ticked off Kara’s clipboard. Lena learned a lot more about Kara too – her older sister, who was a paramedic, had a very nice girlfriend in the police force, Kara couldn’t be beaten in arm wrestling or checkers, and her biggest vice was choc mint ice cream.

 

Towards the end, Lena got the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind since she’d laid eyes on Kara in the gym. “So, I didn’t realise footballers had day jobs?” she said tentatively, cradling the half empty cup of juice in front of her.

Kara smiled wryly. “They do when they’re women,” she responded. “Much as I love being a part of the league, the pay doesn’t exactly cover the bills. At least with my job it’s much easier to fit in conditioning,” she shrugged. Kara caught sight of Lena’s indignant look and laughed. “Yeah I know, but hey the league’s still young! And it’s not like there isn’t precedent for female athletes to be paid less.” Kara finished off her drink and flipped through the pages on the clipboard, checking if there was anything left to cover.

 

Lena was never far from outrage on this topic, and the new information just added fuel to the fire. “It’s completely unfair though. The men get paid stupidly large amounts of money, and evidently most of them spend it on getting themselves in enough trouble to make the papers every other week,” she said, before pausing. Given her own cousin was one of the men Lena was talking about, maybe Kara wouldn’t take kindly to this topic of conversation. Kara, however, just grinned. “Preaching to the choir here. But, it was never going to be as big as AFL all in one season. It just needs time to grow,” she said with another one of those warm, friendly smiles that made Lena’s mouth involuntarily twitch upward in response. Lena wasn’t so convinced, but admired the other girl’s optimism. If anyone she’d ever met in her life was the human equivalent of sunshine, she decided, it was Kara Danvers. Even having only known the girl for a couple of hours, she doubted anything could ever crush her spirit.

 

Kara looked at Lena guiltily, having just checked her watch. “So we’re all done here and I probably should have been back at the gym a while ago. Sorry, I’ve kept you way too long,” she said regretfully. Lena looked at her phone, and was surprised to see they’d been sitting there for over an hour. “Oh that’s fine, I didn’t have anywhere to be. It’s been fun,” she said, directing one last smile at Kara. A real smile, not the practiced camera-ready face she made with her parents or the shy upturn of her mouth she gave when she wanted to be polite. Kara responded in kind, accentuating the brightness in her eyes that Lena noticed in this light were a beautiful shade of blue. “It has,” she agreed, standing and taking her and Lena’s cups. “I’m almost not sorry we got so sidetracked!” she said with a wink. Lena willed herself not to blush. “Well, good luck with your studies Lena, I hope I see you around the gym sometime soon,” Kara lightly patted her on the shoulder. Lena thanked her and said her goodbyes before both girls turned and went their separate ways, Kara towards the gym and Lena to her car.

 

* * *

 

 

Lena felt giddy on the drive home. She was being ridiculous, she knew. Spending a few hours as a _client_ of Kara’s was nothing to get excited about, and yes they’d talked about things outside of work but she was sure that’s just what Kara was like; the girl was just being nice. Still, she couldn’t believe that not only had she met the woman who had almost singlehandedly kept her interested in football (as she had, she suspected, for young women all over the country), she’d been just as sweet in real life as she seemed in the media. The girl really was just a genuinely lovely person.

 

Lena silently debated whether she’d text Jess about this as she pulled off the main road and started weaving through suburban streets to her apartment block. She was excited enough to share her news, and there wasn’t anyone else she’d want to tell, but what would she even say? _Hey Jess, you know that football player I definitely wasn’t crushing on? She’s really nice and funny and her eyes are this really gorgeous blue._

Lena shook her head. After Jess’s teasing at the match the other week, giving her more ammunition wasn’t a smart idea. She’d just leave it for now.

 

After pulling into her courtyard parking space, Lena basked just a moment longer in the afternoon sun, mentally replaying when Kara had laughed so hard she nearly choked on her smoothie at a story she’d been telling about her antics at an undergrad party. Ignoring the voice in her head telling her not to make it more than it was, she let herself feel good about having spent time with a pretty girl, regardless of the reason why or how shit scared she’d been of doing so at first.

 

Still on a bit of a high, Lena thought nothing of it when she saw two people standing near her front door as she headed toward it, bag in hand – then her mood abruptly dissipated when she realised who was waiting for her.

 

Disapproving eyes stared at Lena as she approached them. “You didn’t answer my text, Lena. We’ve been left outside for 15 minutes because we didn’t know if you were home.”

Lillian looked irate at being kept waiting. Lionel didn’t even bother to turn, silently inspecting her front door. Lena sighed internally, arranging her face into a look that she hoped was convincingly pleased to see them. “Mum, dad. Nice to see you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lena's got a bit of a crush hey ;))
> 
> Comments, questions, feedback is welcomed as always! Tell me what you're thinking!


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